St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-06
The Harper Trial.

CINCINNATI, Dec. 5.-The Harper
trial was resumed to-day with Mr.. SEQ
field, of the First National bank of New
York, on the stand to make some addi-
tons to his testimony. Among other
things he stated that his bank had a
claim of $3.50, 900 against Receiver Arm
strong, OF the Fidelity bank. Book
keeper Walters was then crOsS-eXam-
ined at considerable length. He said
the Riverside Iron and Steel works note
Endorsed by Harper gave them a credit
of 100000.
Mr.. Waters stated that he carried
back to the Metropolitan National bank
100000, which had been borrowed as a
temporary loan by Mr.. Harper. He
thought this was on June II. John S.
Common, assignee of the Riverside
works, testified that the assets were
S379.36. Maj. H. p. Lloyd, assignee of
+. l.. Harper, testified that he found as
sets amounting to about ST., 600. Against
this stood claims of the Chemical bank,
of New York, $4,000; the Western Ma
tiOnal bank, of New York, $500, 600; a
claim of Chicago gentleman, Mr.. Ar
mour. for 81 300, 000 and the civil suit
for s., 100000 against him and the other
directors of the bank. Charles A.
Hinch, assistant receiving teller of
the Fidelity National bank, Oc
cupied an hour and half of
the afternoon session by reading from
the. books a schedule showing the
amount of chicks carried as cash items,
day by day, during 1856 and 1887 by f.
l.. Harper, J. w. Wiltshire, j. W. Will
shire d c., Wiltshire, Eekert & Co., E.
l.. Harper & Co. and Swift's Iron and
Steel Works. The reading was mOtot-
OnOus. 1t showed May 10. 1887, total
of S693, 600; May 81, $920,643: June Il.
$954, 743, and June 20, when the account
was closed by the government, these
items amounted to 81, 100, 266.19. These
checks were exhibited to the witness
and he identified them as those that
were in the bank on June 20. The wit
ness said he received his Instructions
with regard ia these transactions from
Mr.. Harper. He then read statements
showing what would have been the state
of these accounts daily,i if the checks had
taken the usual course, from Jan. to
June 20, 1887, Harper'S account would
have been Overdrawn at the last day
$4,000. Swift'S Iron and Steel works
account was Overdrawn all the time in
amounts ranging from 100000 to $470.-
coo. The average Overdraft of this &C
count during this time was about $780,
600. The ledger of the bank showed an
average credit balance of about $4,000,
the books failing to show the true con-
ditiOn of the account by from 100000
to $1,000 Witness made similar show
ings with regard to J. W. Wiltshire &
Co.'S account, and in every instance
stated that the course taken was
at the instance OF Mr.. Harper. 1t
appeared that at the final
crash, Wiltshire, Eckert & CO. S
overdrafts reached the enormous
sum of 81, l09.622, while Swift's Iron and
Steel Works account was much nearer
even than it had been. The witness eX-
planned that this was done by Harper
himself substituting their check for
those of the Swift Iron and Steel
Works. Harper appeared to have con-
troll of these checks, for he brought
them to the witness to be entered as he
directed. This mOnOtoHOus reading of
accounts running into hundreds of
thousands OF dollars was not ended
when the court adjourned. 1t does not
seem possible for any defense to meet
the case these relentless figures make
against Harper. He listens to them
without emotion, and his counsel hear
them without effort to parry the force.